Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Compare/Contrast

Compare/Contrast 2 characters in the novel relating to the search for Moby Dick...or...comparea character from Moby Dick to a character from another book you've read.

5 comments:

Mrs. Baird said...

Ahab reminds me a lot of Odysseus-remember the idea of "hubris"? Discuss amongst youselves...

Anonymous said...

My partner and I discussed that in class the other day. Odysseus and Ahab were both on voyages and are respected by a lot of people. They both care for their families back home. However, Ahab is very selfish and Odysseus will do anything for his men and his country.

Chanteuse08

Anonymous said...

I'm not really buying the Odysseus connection. Ahab indicates several times that he understands his quest to be foolish. A better connection would have to be to a character who is actually mad, or striving after some impossible goal. Willy Loman could be a good candidate, or James Gatsby, or perhaps even Emma Bovary. All four characters meet their deaths while following their own impossible goal (if you haven't finished MD yet, you can deal with the spoiler). Let's throw in Macbeth as well- he seeks to dominate Scotland, and to this end alienates himself from everyone else and is eventually killed.

I connect Fedallah to the three witches in Macbeth. Both make predictions to a power-crazed fanatic that seem so implausible that they serve to strengthen that character's confidence until they realize that the prophecies can be fulfilled in unexpected ways. However, the witches in Macbeth seem malicious and to be toying with Macbeth, while the same can not be said of Fedallah. Fedallah himself dies during the whale-hunt (again, if you haven't finished yet, too bad) and seems to show no signs of ill will towards Ahab.

-Nautilus

Anonymous said...

Me and my partner compared Odysseus to Ahab as well. It amazing how similar the tales of both characters are yet so very different. Both character are on a voyage at sea, and there is some creature of the sea (weather animal or God), that is their enemy. Odysseus years to head home to his family, and he prays to the Gods for help. Ahab on the other hand, puts his search for Moby before his family, and is almost like defying God in his hunt. Odysseaus is seen with an angelic view, while Ahab the devil.
Pequod

Anonymous said...

I want to compare Pip To Gary Coleman

Similarities
-Short
-Whatchu talkiin' bout' willis

R@u!+